Tetrahedron Letters
Synthesis of functionalized 2,20- and 2,30-bipyrroles via 3-imino-3H-
pyrrolizine-2-carbonitriles
Olga V. Petrova, Elena F. Sagitova, Lyubov N. Sobenina, Igor A. Ushakov, Tat0yana N. Borodina,
⇑
Vladimir I. Smirnov, Boris A. Trofimov
A.E. Favorsky Irkutsk Institute of Chemistry, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 1 Favorsky Str., 664033 Irkutsk, Russian Federation
a r t i c l e i n f o
a b s t r a c t
A novel strategy for the synthesis of 4-amino-3-cyano-2,20- and 50-amino-40-cyano-2,30-bipyrroles via
readily available 1-amino-3-imino-3H-pyrrolizine-2-carbonitriles has been developed. The rearrange-
ment leading to 50-amino-40-cyano-2,30-bipyrroles involves formation of the intermediate aziridine,
which undergoes other side ring-opening.
Article history:
Received 10 May 2016
Revised 28 June 2016
Accepted 1 July 2016
Available online 2 July 2016
Ó 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords:
3-Imino-3H-pyrrolizine-2-carbonitriles
2,20-Bipyrroles
2,30-Bipyrroles
KOH/DMSO system
1-Chloroacetophenone
The bipyrrole scaffold occurs in many natural products,1,2 pig-
ments, porphyrin mimics,3 compounds used for anion recognition
and in the design of self-assembly systems.4 Bipyrroles have
sparked interest as building blocks for the synthesis of isomeric
and expanded forms of porphyrins such as rubyrin, rosarin,4
meso-substituted [34]octaphyrin(1.1.1.0.1.1.1.0) and cyclo[8]
pyrroles.5 They also attract attention as a synthetic intermediate
towards antitumor medicines (prodigiosins,6 sapphyrins7), radia-
tion sensitizers7,8 photodynamic cancer therapy and antimalarial
agents.9
yields, are known to date.9,10b–e,17–21 The most efficient of
these include phenyliodine(III) bis(trifluoroacetate)-induced
a
oxidative coupling of N-substituted pyrroles,10b–e the 1,3-dipolar
cycloaddition of N-protected 2-nitrovinylpyrroles with unsym-
metrical 1,3-oxazolium-5-olates,20 the Suzuki coupling of 4-
bromo-pyrrole-2-carboxaldehydes with N-Boc-2-pyrroleboronic
acid,9 and the reaction of (1-methoxy-3-(1-methyl-1H-pyrrol-2-
yl)prop-2-yn-1-yl)lithium with isothiocyanate.21 Most of these
were of narrow substrate scope.
It is important for this communication to note that only one
protocol for the synthesis of bipyrroles with an amino group has
been described,22 but none for a cyano substituent and, moreover,
for the combination of these two functionalities. The synthesis of
bipyrroles with amino substituents includes multi-step procedures
starting from 4-oxo-N-(PhF)prolinate. It is important to emphasize
that bipyrroles, both 2,20- and 2,30-bearing neighboring amino and
cyano functions, might be precursors of purine analogues, includ-
ing pyrrolotetrazines,23 pyrrolotriazines,24 pyrrolopyridines,25
pyrrolopyrimidines,26 and in this case, for their unknown families
with a second pyrrole ring.
The strong interest in this structural unit has resulted in the
development of a vast amount of synthetic research in this area.
Classic approaches to 2,20-bipyrrole syntheses include oxidative,10
Ullman-type homocouplings10a,11 or the condensation of
pyrrolinones with pyrroles.12 The first two methods are limited
to the preparation of symmetrical 2,20-bipyrroles, while the third
one allows a few unsymmetrical 2,20-bipyrroles to be synthesized.
The latter were sporadically obtained by Paal-Knorr condensa-
tion,13 Suzuki coupling,6a,d,9 aza-Nazarov14 and Trofimov reac-
tions,15 from 2-cyanopyrroles and substituted cyclopropanes,16 or
from pyrrolylbutenyl ketones.6b
Herein, we describe a convenient strategy for the synthesis of
In contrast to the numerous syntheses of 2,20-bipyrroles, fewer
methods for the preparation of 2,30-bipyrroles, mostly in low
2,20- and 2,30-bipyrroles with neighboring amino and cyano
groups. This is
a continuation of the previously developed
carbodithioation of substituted pyrroles with CS2 in a KOH/
DMSO system.27 The pyrrole-2-carbodithioates obtained were
then easily transformed into 1-amino-3-imino-3H-pyrrolizines
(Scheme 1).28,29
⇑
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0040-4039/Ó 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.